Issues in Politics
Charlie Hebdo gets new threats over cartoon on accused Islamic scholar
The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation on Monday of death threats against the satirical French weekly Charlie Hebdo, over a cartoon of the Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, who faces rape allegations. The investigation was opened against “written death threats” and “public praise for a terrorist act,” The magazine depicted Ramadan with with an explicit…
After ultra-nationalist independence day march, German religious leaders look to Poland with anxiety
Saturday, 11 November, marked the 99th anniversary of Polish independence. After successive partitions had awarded ever greater chunks of Polish territory to Russia, Austria, and Prussia; Poland ceased to exist as a political entity in 1795, to re-emerge as an independent state only in 1918. Independence day parade calls for white Europe To commemorate the…
Political Polarization, 1994-2017
Pew Research Center’s latest instalment of their ongoing “Political Polarization” survey reveals sharp shifts in political values among Democrats and Republicans. In particular, views about Islam and violence as approached by Democrats and Republicans has steadily widened over the past few years as a growing share of Democrats, 69%, do not believe that Islam encourages…
Austrian elections pave way for populist government, making Muslims apprehensive
The elections to the National Council, the lower house of the Austrian Parliament on October 15, have marked a firm shift to the right in Austrian politics, particularly on matters of immigration, integration, and Islam. Sebastian Kurz headed for an ÖVP-FPÖ coalition After an electoral campaign dominated by at times vicious diatribes against Muslims and…
Interior Minister ignites debate on Islamic public holiday in Germany
Germany’s Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, member of Angela Merkel’s CDU party, has sparked controversy by asserting that local authorities might be allowed to introduce a public holiday to commemorate an Islamic religious occasion. A regional Muslim holiday? De Maizière did not suggest a day off work at the national level but rather a regional…